In support of future x-ray telescopes ESA is developing new optics for the x-ray regime. To date, mass and volume have made x-ray imaging technology prohibitive to planetary remote sensing imaging missions. And although highly successful, the mirror technology used on ESA’s XMM-Newton is not sufficient for future, large, x-ray observatories, since physical limits on the mirror packing density mean that aperture size becomes prohibitive. To reduce telescope mass and volume the packing density of mirror shells must be reduced, whilst maintaining alignment and rigidity. Structures can also benefit from a modular optic arrangement. Pore optics are shown to meet these requirements. This paper will discuss two pore optic technologies under development, with examples of results from measurement campaigns on samples.

One activity has centred on the use of coated, silicon wafers, patterned with ribs, that are integrated onto a mandrel whose form has been polished to the required shape. The wafers follow the shape precisely, forming pore sizes in the sub-mm region. Individual stacks of mirrors can be manufactured without risk to, or dependency on, each other and aligned in a structure from which they can also be removed without hazard. A breadboard is currently being built to demonstrate this technology.

A second activity centres on glass pore optics. However an adaptation of micro channel plate technology to form square pores has resulted in a monolithic material that can be slumped into an optic form. Alignment and coating of two such plates produces an x-ray focusing optic. A breadboard 20cm aperture optic is currently being built.

Silicon pore optics have been proposed earlier as modular optical X-ray units in large Wolter-I telescopes that would match effective area and resolution requirements imposed by missions such as XEUS. Since then the optics have been developed further and the feasibility of the production of high-performance pore optics has been demonstrated. Optimisation of both the production and the assembly process allowed the generation of optics with larger areas with improved imaging performance. Silicon pore optics can now be manufactured with properties required for future X-ray telescopes. A suitable design that allows the implementation of pore optics into X-ray Optical Units in Wolter-I configuration was recently derived including an appropriate telescope mounting structure with interfaces for the individual components. The development status, the achieved performance and the requirements regarding future mirror production, optics assembly and related metrology for its characterisation are presented.

Lightweight X-ray Wolter optics with a high angular resolution will enable the next generation of X-ray telescopes in space. The International X-ray Observatory (IXO) requires a mirror assembly of 3 m2 effective area (at 1.5 keV) and an angular resolution of 5 arcsec. These specifications can only be achieved with a novel technology like Silicon Pore Optics, which is developed by ESA together with a consortium of European industry.

Silicon Pore Optics are made of commercial Si wafers using process technology adapted from the semiconductor industry. We present the manufacturing process ranging from single mirror plates towards complete focusing mirror modules mounted in flight configuration. The performance of the mirror modules is tested using X-ray pencil beams or full X-ray illumination. In 2009, an angular resolution of 9 arcsec was achieved, demonstrating the improvement of the technology compared to 17 arcsec in 2007. Further development activities of Silicon Pore Optics concentrate on ruggedizing the mounting system and performing environmental tests, integrating baffles into the mirror modules and assessing the mass production.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is studying the ATHENA (Advanced Telescope for High ENergy Astrophysics) X-ray telescope, the second L-class mission in their Cosmic Vision 2015 – 2025 program with a launch spot in 2028. The baseline technology for the X-ray lens is the newly developed high-performance, light-weight and modular Silicon Pore Optics (SPO). As part of the technology preparation, ruggedisation and environmental testing studies are being conducted to ensure mechanical stability and optical performance of the optics during and after launch, respectively. At cosine, a facility with shock, vibration, tensile strength, long time storage and thermal testing equipment has been set up in order to test SPO mirror module (MM) materials for compliance with an Ariane launch vehicle and the mission requirements. In this paper, we report on the progress of our ongoing investigations regarding tests on mechanical and thermal stability of MM components like single SPO stacks with and without multilayer coatings and complete MMs of inner (R = 250 mm), middle (R = 737 mm) and outer (R = 1500 mm) radii.

Silicon Pore Optics (SPO), developed at cosine with the European Space Agency (ESA) and several academic and industrial partners, provides lightweight, yet stiff, high-resolution x-ray optics. This technology enables ATHENA to reach an unprecedentedly large effective area in the 0.2 - 12 keV band with an angular resolution better than 5''. After developing the technology for 50 m and 20 m focal length, this year has witnessed the first 12 m focal length mirror modules being produced. The technology development is also gaining momentum with three different radii under study: mirror modules for the inner radii (Rmin = 250 mm), outer radii (Rmax = 1500 mm) and middle radii (Rmid = 737 mm) are being developed in parallel.

Silicon Pore Optics is a high-energy optics technology, invented to enable the next generation of high-resolution,
large area X-ray telescopes such as the ATHENA observatory, a European large (L) class mission with a launch
date of 2028. The technology development is carried out by a consortium of industrial and academic partners and
focuses on building an optics with a focal length of 12 m that shall achieve an angular resolution better than 5”.
So far we have built optics with a focal length of 50 m and 20 m.
This paper presents details of the work carried out to build silicon stacks for a 12 m optics and to integrate them
into mirror modules. It will also present results of x-ray tests taking place at PTB’s XPBF with synchrotron
radiation and the PANTER test facility.

The ATHENA mission, a European large (L) class X-ray observatory to be launched in 2028, will essentially consist of an X-ray lens and two focal plane instruments. The lens, based on a Wolter-I type double reflection grazing incidence angle design, will be very large (~ 3 m in diameter) to meet the science requirements of large effective area (1-2 m2 at a few keV) at a focal length of 12 m. To meet the high angular resolution (5 arc seconds) requirement the X-ray lens will also need to be very accurate. Silicon Pore Optics (SPO) technology has been invented to enable building such a lens and thus enabling the ATHENA mission. We will report in this paper on the latest status of the development, including details of X-ray test campaigns.

Silicon Pore Optics, after 10 years of development, forms now the basis for future large (L) class astrophysics Xray observatories, such as the ATHENA mission to study the hot and energetic universe, matching the L2 science theme recently selected by ESA for launch in 2028. The scientific requirements result in an optical design that demands high angular resolution (5“) and large effective area (2 m2 at a few keV) of an X-ray lens with a focal length of 12 to14 m. Silicon Pore Optics was initially based on long (25 to 50 m) focal length telescope designs, which could achieve several arc second angular resolution by curving the silicon mirror in only one direction (conical approximation). With the advent of shorter focal length missions we started to develop mirrors having a secondary curvature, allowing the production of Wolter-I type optics, which are on axis aberration-free. In this paper we will present the new manufacturing process, discuss the impact of the ATHENA optics design on the technology development and present the results of the latest X-ray test campaigns.

Silicon Pore Optics is an enabling technology for future L- and M-class astrophysics X-ray missions, which require high angular resolution (~5 arc seconds) and large effective area (1 to 2 m2 at a few keV). The technology exploits the high-quality of super-polished 300 mm silicon wafers and the associated industrial mass production processes, which are readily available in the semiconductor industry. The plan-parallel wafers have a surface roughness better than 0.1 nm rms and are diced, structured, wedged, coated, bent and stacked to form modular Silicon Pore Optics, which can be grouped into a larger optic. The modules are assembled from silicon alone, with all the mechanical advantages, and form an intrinsically stiff pore structure.

The optics design was initially based on long (25 to 50 m) focal length X-ray telescopes, which could achieve several arc second angular resolution by curving the silicon mirror in only one direction (conical approximation).

Recently shorter focal length missions (10 to 20 m) have been discussed, for which we started to develop Silicon Pore Optics having a secondary curvature in the mirror, allowing the production of Wolter-I type optics, which are on axis aberration-free.

In this paper we will present the new manufacturing process, the results achieved and the lessons learned.

Cosine has developed the technology to bend and directly bond Si mirror plates in order to produce stiff, lightweight Xray optics which are used for large area space based X-ray telescopes. This technology, Silicon Pore Optics (SPO), also allows us to produce other types of high energy optics. Here we present the latest developments in the design and manufacture of a new generation of soft gamma-ray Laue lenses made using SPO technology named Silicon Laue lens Components: SiLC.

The bending and bonding of 300 μm thin Si single crystals allows us to fabricate a single crystal with radially curved crystal planes, which strongly improves the focusing properties of a Laue lens. The size of the focal spot is no longer determined by the size of the individual single crystals, but by the accuracy of the applied curvature, which is as low as a few seconds of arc. Furthermore, a wedge is incorporated in each individual Si crystal to ensure that all crystals are confocal in the radial direction. A secondary curvature in the axial direction can be used to improve the reflectivity of each crystal, and increase the reflected energy bandwidth.

We present the first SiLC crystals which will be manufactured in the fall of 2013. These are technology demonstrators designed for 125 keV radiation, 3.4m focal length and 600mm2 frontal area. The first measurements at synchrotron radiation facilities are planned for November 2013. With these first prototype lenses we want to demonstrate that the SPO stacking technology can be successfully applied to non-ribbed Si wafer plates and subsequently demonstrate the correct focusing in Laue geometry of both the wedges and radial curvature.

In this paper we present several novel applications using X-ray mirrors based on Silicon Pore Optics
technology, the present baseline technology for large effective area space based X-ray telescopes. By
cutting, bending and direct bonding of mirrors cut from silicon wafers we can create a variety of
structures in a number of well-defined shapes. One novel application is an X-ray half-mirror for X-ray
interferometry applications based on flat, structured Si mirrors bonded to a glass support structure with
a large open area ratio. A second application is to use bent silicon single crystals as a focusing Laue
lens for soft gamma rays.

Silicon pore optics is a technology developed to enable future large area X-ray telescopes, such as the
International X-ray Observatory (IXO) or the Advanced Telescope for High ENergy Astrophysics (ATHENA),
an L-class candidate mission in the ESA Space Science Programme 'Cosmic Visions 2015-2025'.
ATHENA/IXO use nested mirrors in Wolter-I configuration to focus grazing incidence X-ray photons on a
detector plane. The x-ray optics will have to meet stringent performance requirements including an effective area
of a few m2 at 1.25 keV and angular resolution between 5(IXO) and 9(ATHENA) arc seconds. To achieve the
collecting area requires a total polished mirror surface area close to 1000 m2 with a surface roughness better than
0.5 nm rms. By using commercial high-quality 12" silicon wafers which are diced, structured, wedged, coated,
bent and stacked, the stringent performance requirements can be met without any costly polishing steps. Two of
such stacks are then assembled into a co-aligned mirror module, which is a complete X-ray imaging system.
Included in the mirror module are the isostatic mounting points, providing a reliable interface to the telescope.
Hundreds of such mirror modules are finally integrated into petals, and mounted onto the spacecraft to form an
X-ray optic. In this paper we will present the silicon pore optics mass manufacturing process and latest X-ray test
results.

The establishment of Silicon Pore Optics (SPO) as the technology of choice for the implementation of future large
X-ray space optics has opened up the road to its use in all classes of X-ray missions with varying scientific goals.
This interest has given us the possibility to broaden the design parameter space which is normally considered
for SPO optics. In doing so a number of classical space X-ray optics design issues (e.g., field of view, stray
light, baffling, aberrations) have been tackled. In this paper we report on recent results achieved in this effort.
Particular attention will be given to the issues of stray light and baffling, a topic upon which a combination of
analytical, simulation, and data analysis means can be effectively brought to bear. Missions considering the use
of SPO optics have requirements spanning more than two orders of magnitude in energy, and a factor 20 in focal
length. The possibilities that can be considered and the trade offs that must be made when applying SPO to
such a wide range of optical designs will be illustrated, and some of the possible solutions discussed.

We report a new simple optical system for the highly efficient measurement of the Orbital Angular Momentum States of
Light. It uses an image reformatter to map each input state onto a different lateral position in the output aperture. This,
near perfect, separation of states potentially makes available the high information capacity of OAM in both classical and
quantum applications.

We present a highly integrated payload suite which consists of the following instruments: a hyperspectral imager
covering the wavelength range from 0.7 μm up to 5μm, and a thermal infrared radiometric imaging spectrometer.
The payload design is the result of a design study that was performed in the context of the development of space
exploration technologies under ESA contracts. The payload is broadly applicable to environmental research and
for a number of remote sensing mission scenarios. All instruments have imaging capability and have been chosen
such that they profit from close integration. HIBRIS is a combination of the hyperspectral NIR spectrometer,
considered as generic instrument being part of many missions, and the radiometric micro-bolometer in the
thermal infrared spectrum. A linear variable filter (LVF) concept is implemented in the NIR range that avoids
the use of gratings which are usually limited to one decade of spectral range or less. The thereby rather compact
design does allow the integration of multiple instruments within a rather limited volume envelope. The suite
also makes use of a microcooler and the most advanced NIR detector technologies. The use of an LVF drives
the spectral resolution of the instruments to 1% of the wavelength. The SNR is satisfactory in the most part
of the spectrum for LEO EO missions. Current activities at cosine Research have focused on the design and
performance of uncooled microbolometers, linear filters, light shielding baffles, beam splitters for shared optical
paths, and the thermal design of HIBRIS.

Silicon pore optics is a technology developed to enable future large area X-ray telescopes, such as the
International X-ray Observatory (IXO), a candidate mission in the ESA Space Science Programme 'Cosmic
Visions 2015-2025'. IXO uses nested mirrors in Wolter-I configuration to focus grazing incidence X-ray photons
on a detector plane. The IXO optics will have to meet stringent performance requirements including an effective
area of >2.5 m2 at 1.25 keV and >0.65 m2 at 6 keV and angular resolution better than 5 arc seconds. To achieve
the collecting area requires a total polished mirror surface area of ~1300 m2 with a surface roughness better than
0.5 nm rms. By using commercial high-quality 12" silicon wafers which are diced, structured, wedged, coated,
bent and stacked, the stringent performance requirements of IXO can be attained without any costly polishing
steps. Two of these stacks are then assembled into a co-aligned mirror module, which is a complete X-ray
imaging system. Included in the mirror module are the isostatic mounting points, providing a reliable interface to
the telescope. Hundreds of such mirror modules are finally integrated into petals, and mounted onto the
spacecraft to form an X-ray optic of approximately 4 m in diameter.
In this paper we will present the silicon pore optics mass manufacturing process and latest X-ray test results of
mirror modules mounted in flight configuration.

Future X-ray astrophysics missions, such as the International X-ray Observatory, IXO, require the development of novel
optics in order to deliver the mission's large aperture, high angular resolution and low mass requirements. A series of
activities have been pursued by ESA, leading a consortium of European industries to develop Silicon Pore Optics for use
as an x-ray mirror technology.
A novel process takes as the base mirror material commercially available silicon wafers, which have been shown to
possess excellent x-ray reflecting qualities. These are ribbed, curved and stacked concentrically in layers that have the
desired shape at a given radii of the x-ray aperture. Pairs of stacks are aligned and mounted into doubly reflecting mirror
modules that can be aligned into the x-ray aperture without the very high angular and position alignment requirements
that need to be achieved for mirror plates within the mirror module. The use of this silicon pore optics design
substantially reduces mirror assembly time, equipment and costs in comparison to alternative IXO mirror designs.
This paper will report the current technology development status of the silicon pore optics and the roadmap expected for
developments to meet an IXO schedule. Test results from measurements performed at the PTB lab of the Bessy
synchrotron facility and from full illumination at the Panter x-ray facility will be presented.

Silicon pore optics is a technology developed to enable future large area X-ray telescopes, such as the International Xray
Observatory (IXO), a candidate mission in the ESA Space Science Programme 'Cosmic Visions 2015-2025'. IXO
uses nested mirrors in Wolter-I configuration to focus grazing incidence X-ray photons on a detector plane. The IXO
mirrors will have to meet stringent performance requirements including an effective area of ~3 m2 at 1.25 keV and ~1 m2
at 6 keV and angular resolution better than 5 arc seconds. To achieve the collecting area requires a total polished mirror
surface area of ~1300 m2 with a surface roughness better than 0.5 nm rms. By using commercial high-quality 12" silicon
wafers which are diced, structured, wedged, coated, bent and stacked the stringent performance requirements of IXO can
be attained without any costly polishing steps. Two of these stacks are then assembled into a co-aligned mirror module,
which is a complete X-ray imaging system. Included in the mirror module are the isostatic mounting points, providing a
reliable interface to the telescope. Hundreds of such mirror modules are finally integrated into petals, and mounted onto
the spacecraft to form an X-ray optic of four meters in diameter.
In this paper we will present the silicon pore optics assembly process and latest X-ray results. The required metrology is
described in detail and experimental methods are shown, which allow to assess the quality of the HPOs during
production and to predict the performance when measured in synchrotron radiation facilities.

We present the latest results of X-ray metrology performed on Silicon Pore Optics, a novel type of lightweight X-ray
optics made from silicon and developed for future, large area space based X-ray telescopes. From these so-called pencil
beam measurements, performed at the PTB laboratory of the BESSY synchrotron radiation facility, the overall
performance in terms of half energy width (HEW) of the optics has been calculated. All measurements are performed at
an intrafocal distance, but due to the nature of this measurement method, the results in terms of HEW can be
extrapolated to the focal plane. In the near future, upgrades of the X-ray facilities will allow measuring the performance
of the optics in the actual focal plane. We also present the newest development of our X-ray tracer tool, which is used to
retrieve performance and imaging prediction from single plate level up to a full optic by use of the mirror figure, as
recorded during the fabrication process. We furthermore present results of AFM imaging and X-ray reflectivity
measurements performed to determine the surface roughness of the base material (polished Si wafers) and of fully
processed and coated mirror plates.

We have developed a generic X-ray tracing toolbox based on Geant4, a generic simulation toolkit. By leveraging
the facilities available on Geant4, we are able to design and analyze complex X-ray optical systems. In this
article we describe our toolbox, and describe how it is being applied to support the development of silicon pore
optics for IXO.

Silicon pore optics have been developed over the last years to enable future astrophysical X-ray telescopes and have now
become a candidate mirror technology for the XEUS mission. Scientific requirements demand an angular resolution
better than 5" and a large effective area of several square meters at photon energies of 1 keV. This paper discusses the
performance of the latest generation of these novel light, stiff and modular X-ray optics, based on ribbed plates made
from commercial high grade 12" silicon wafers. Stacks with several tens of silicon plates have been assembled in the
course of an ESA technology development program, by bending the plates into accurate shape and directly bonding them
on top of each other. Several mirror modules, using two stacks each, have been aligned and integrated to form the
conical approximation of a Wolter-I design. This paper presents the status of the technology, addresses and discusses a
number of activities in the ongoing ESA technology development and shows latest results of full area measurements at
the MPE X-ray test facility (PANTER).

The future large X-ray astrophysics observatories after XMM and Chandra will require novel optics to be developed, in
order to provide the combination of large effective area, low mass and adequate angular resolution. In particular the
XEUS mission candidate [1,2], as selected in the first slice of the Cosmic Vision 1525 programme, has stringent and
demanding requirements on the performance of the required X-ray optics forming the core of the mission concept. A
summary of the specific requirements and boundary conditions for the XEUS X-ray optics is provided, followed by an
outline and status of the options being considered in the XEUS studies and technology preparations. A discussion of the
main design parameters is done, in particular of the impact of the focal length choice, and the application of coatings.
The feasibility of the mechanical implementation of the considered telescope optical design in a flight model is not
addressed in this study.

Silicon pore X-ray optics enable future astrophysical science missions that require imaging X-ray
telescopes with an angular resolution better than 5" and an effective area of several square meters at photon
energies of 1 keV. The characteristics of the latest generation of these very light, stiff and modular X-ray
optics, termed high-performance pore optics (HPO), are discussed in this paper. HPOs with several tens of
silicon plates have been assembled in the course of an ESA technology development program, by bending
the plates into accurate shape and directly bonding them on top of each other. Test plates have been coated
to enhance the reflectivity of the optic. Several HPOs have been integrated into modules in Wolter-I
configuration, some of them with properly wedged plates. Their performance has been measured during
test campaigns at X-ray testing facilities using pencil beam and full beam illumination. Pencil beam
measurements at BESSY-II yield information on the production process with high spatial resolution and
without the need for image deconvolution. It will be shown in this paper that the full beam results on the
figure of the optics can be predicted from the pencil beam data. Full beam illumination at PANTER,
besides yielding integrated information on the performance of the optic, delivers also unique data on the
large angle scattering properties of the system. Experimental results including reflectometry and surface
roughness measurements are presented and discussed in this paper.

Glass micro-pore optics technology, developed over the last years for planetary X-ray imagers, has
been used to assemble optical modules in approximation of a Wolter-I configuration. These tandems of
glass sectors consist of hundreds of square, millimetre sized, multi-fibres that each contain more than a
thousand, 3 μm thin, X-ray mirrors with a surface roughness suitable for application at medium X-ray
energies. The performance of the tandems can be traced back to the quality of the individual fibres.
Extensive X-ray testing has been done on all constituents, from several fibres up to tandem level, using
pencil beam and, for the first time, full beam illumination at PANTER. The results of these campaigns
and of reflectometry measurements are discussed in this paper and have been used throughout the
technology development program to monitor the X-ray performance. It will be shown that the quality
of focussing micro-pore X-ray optics is now high enough to achieve an angular resolution of several
arc minutes and that the multi-fibres are as good as 20 arc seconds, demonstrating the potential of this
technology. The tandems can be combined and assembled into larger geometries, hence forming a very
light and compact X-ray lens of ~200 mm diameter and a focal length of 1 m. This is part of an ESA
breadboard program discussed elsewhere in this conference.

Technology associated with x-ray optics for missions such as ESA's XMM-Newton are not compatible with the
demanding mass requirements for planetary explorers. Glass micro-pore optics are an enabling technology for future
ESA missions to fly remote, planetary, x-ray imagers, by facilitating mass and volume reduction. Activities pursued by
ESA have developed manufacturing techniques for micro-channel plates to produce high quality, square fibres, which
are used to form glass plates containing square micro-channel pores, with diameters from 10 μm and fill factors around
60%. Matched pairs of plates can be deformed under heat and pressure to form spherical surfaces, such that each plate
approximates the radius of one part of the tandem pair of a Wolter I configuration. In such a configuration the tangential
walls of the concentric rings of pores are used as the grazing incidence, reflective surfaces that focus x-rays. The
monolithic structure of the plates allows dense packing of the rings of x-ray mirrors and simplifies mounting, especially
with respect to thermal and mechanical considerations. To improve x-ray reflectivity, processes to coat the channel
surfaces with elements such as Ni and Ir have also been investigated.
This paper discusses the design of a structure to support the optic segments and assembly of the optics into a structure.
Pairs of plates must be aligned into tandems and fixed to form segments of the x-ray optic. Each tandem pair must be
aligned into a structure which will support the plates through thermal and mechanical loading. A structure has been
designed to allow assembly of the optic within tolerances justified by analysis. Replacement of individual tandems is
possible. Thermal and mechanical analyses have been performed to assess the performance and survivability of the optic
under loads. An assembly plan has been designed to allow maximisation of the effective area of the optic and ensure its
best performance.

The PANTER X-ray Test Facility was originally designed to support the development and construction of the
ROSAT mirror system. A large instrument chamber (length 12 m, diameter 3.5m) accommodates the optics
to be analysed. The X-ray sources covering an 0.2 - 50 keV energy range are located at a distance of 123m
from the entrance to the chamber to provide an almost parallel X-ray beam. Both are connected by a vacuum
tube of 1m diameter. In addition to ROSAT a large number of astronomical systems like telescopes for Exosat,
BeppoSAX, JET-X, ABRIXAS, XMM-Newton and Swift - but also gratings (e.g., LETG on Chandra), filters,
and focal plane detectors have been measured at the facility. As a "growing facility" we are currently planning to
apply changes to the facility layout to support measurements of instrumentation for future missions like XEUS.
Currently a parallel beam is set up using a spare CDS mirror ("Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer", for the SOHO
mission) as condensor. Moreover, extensions to vacuum tube and instrument chamber are under consideration,
both to allow calibration of systems with focal lengths significantly longer than XMM-Newton. A new focal plane
camera using a CCD developed for the eROSITA mission will improve spatial and spectral resolution. Finally,
the energy coverage shall be extended to lower and to higher energies. Already with the present configuration
important issues like performance under low temperatures could be investigated.

It has been demonstrated that silicon pore optics can serve as the new technology for building the next generation of X-ray
telescopes for astronomical missions. In order to build up an optic in Wolter-I configuration, the high performance
pore optics (HPO) have to be co-aligned and integrated into pairs, forming so-called X-ray optical units (XOU). The
stringent co-alignment requirements for a 50 m focal length telescope like XEUS (e.g. 1 arcsecond between parabolic
and hyperbolic HPO) demand holistic alignment concepts, which integrate the metrology, the fixation and the
performance verification. The application in space and the resulting thermal requirements in combination with launch
loads and other mechanical restrictions must also be considered. Finite element modelling of different fixation
mechanisms and XOU configurations allow one both to assess difficulties at an early stage and to validate solution
strategies. This paper reports on the concepts, which have been developed. The most promising candidate has been
selected to build a form fit function model. The experimental set-up to align the HPOs, the required metrology and first
results of the performance verification at test facilities will be shown and discussed.

Silicon pore optics have been proposed earlier as modular optical X-ray units in large Wolter-I telescopes that would match effective area and resolution requirements imposed by missions such as XEUS. Since then the optics have been developed further and the feasibility of the production of high-performance pore optics has been demonstrated. Optimisation of the production and the assembly process allowed the generation of optics with larger areas with improved imaging performance; Silicon pore optics can now be manufactured with properties required for future X-ray telescopes. A suitable design that allows the implementation of pore optics into X-ray Optical Units in Wolter I configuration was derived and recently built including an appropriate telescope mounting structure with interfaces for the individual components. Based on the present experience the requirements for industrial mirror production, optics assembly, related metrology and performance verification are reviewed from a viewpoint of its implementation into a large scale production. Such production may lead to the provision of the large number of X-ray optical units that are required within reasonably short time scales and a feasible cost envelope. The present outcome of this investigation and the prospects to future production and test facilities will be presented.

The XEUS petals encompass the optical bench structure of the stand alone X-Ray Optical Units (XOU) based on the
high performance and light weight Silicon Pore Optics technology. The performance aspects under consideration of the
design drivers, the related trade offs (e.g. mechanical concepts, material selection, XOU butting efficiency etc.) and the
current development activities wrt. the design, manufacturing, assembly and the functional and environmental test
verification approach of the Form Fit Function Model are described in this paper. Special emphasis is given to the critical
external optical and mechanical interfaces coherent to the mission design, e.g. the Mirror S/C frame work structure and
the Detector S/C. The technology program is based on the heritage achieved within the context of the XMM/Newton
telescope development. The investigations of the correlated programmatic aspects towards the FM production by
application of effective robot system supported assembly procedures shall be illustrated.

XEUS, the 'X-ray Early Universe Spectroscopy Mission', is a potential candidate for inclusion into the Cosmic Visions 1525 Science Programme of the European Space Agency ESA [1,2]. It is being studied jointly with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency JAXA.
The newly developed Silicon-based High resolution Pore Optics (HPO) combines low mass density with good angular resolution, and enables the development of novel mission design concepts for the implementation of a new generation of space based X-ray telescope [3, 4, 5]. This optics technology allows also for the application of complex reflective coatings [6], improving the effective area of the telescope and permitting an enhancement in the engineering of the desired response function.
This paper gives an overview of the telescope optical design and optical bench architecture, including the deployment scheme. Further, the performance predictions based on ray tracing are discussed and the overall telescope design of XEUS is presented.

New astronomical science missions demand X-ray telescopes with an angular resolution better than 5" and effective areas
of up to 5 m2 at 1 keV. Traditional technologies like nickel electro-forming or polished glass surfaces lead to long and
heavy structures, which require prohibitive mass resources to achieve the required large collecting area. To overcome this
problem an entirely novel technology using silicon wafers has been developed resulting in pore X-ray optics, which form
very light, stiff and modular structures. The suitability of silicon wafers to be used as high quality optical material has
been demonstrated and semiconductor industry have developed methods to structure the wafers such, that they can be
assembled into segments of Wolter-I optics. For the assembly of these, so called High Performance Pore Optics (HPO),
we have developed an automated production robot. The assembly process and the required metrology is described in
detail and experimental methods are shown, which allow to assess the quality of the HPOs during production and to
predict their performance when measured in synchrotron radiation facilities.

The characteristics of the latest generation of assembled silicon pore X-ray optics are discussed in this paper. These very light, stiff and modular high performance pore optics (HPO) have been developed [1] for the next generation of astronomical X-ray telescopes, which require large collecting areas whilst achieving angular resolutions better than 5 arcseconds. The suitability of 12 inch silicon wafers as high quality optical mirrors and the automated assembly process are discussed elsewhere in this conference. HPOs with several tens of ribbed silicon plates are assembled by bending the plates into an accurate cylindrical shape and directly bonding them on top of each other. The achievable figure accuracy is measured during assembly and in test campaigns at X-ray testing facilities like BESSY-II and PANTER. Pencil beam measurements allow gaining information on the quality achieved by the production process with high spatial resolution. In combination with full beam illumination a complete picture of the excellent performance of these optics can be derived. Experimental results are presented and discussed in detail. The results of such campaigns are used to further improve the production process in order to match the challenging XEUS requirements [2] for imaging resolution and mass.

X-ray optics based on pore geometries have opened applications for X-ray telescopes in the planetary and astrophysics areas where very restricted resources are allowed. In this paper the mission design for a limited size X-ray telescope is presented, which is based on a stowed structure to be deployed in a L2 orbit. With the application of silicon based pore optics in the conical approximation of the Wolter geometry [1, 2, 3] an appreciable effective area can be achieved at 1keV. The energy response function can be extended and optimised towards higher energies by the application of more complex reflective coatings including multiplayer designs [4, 5]. The angular resolution is kept compatible with this collecting area, avoiding source confusion. One of the workhorse launchers for the ESA science missions, the Soyuz Fregat, is assumed as vehicle.
The main trade-offs of the mission design will be addressed and the performance of such a telescope is discussed.

With Photonis and cosine Research BV, ESA has been developing and testing micro pore optics for x-ray imaging. Applications of the technology are foreseen to reduce mass and volume in, for example, a planetary x-ray imager, x-ray timing observatory or high-energy astrophysics. Photonis, a world leader in the design and development of micro pore optics, have developed a technique for manufacturing square channel pores formed from extruded glass fibres. Single square fibres, formed with soluble glass cores, are stacked into a former and redrawn to form multifibres of the required dimension. Radial sectors of an optic are then cut from a block formed by stacking multifibres and fusing them to form a monolithic glass structure. Sectors can be sliced, polished, etched and slumped to form the segment of an optic with specific radius. Two of these sectors will be mounted to form, for example, a Wolter I optic configuration. To improve reflectivity of the channel surfaces coating techniques have also been considered.
The results of x-ray tests performed by ESA and cosine Research, using the BESSY-II synchrotron facility four-crystal monochromator beamline of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), on multi-fibres, sectors and slumped sectors will be discussed in this paper. Test measurements determine the x-ray transmission and focussing characteristics as they relate to the overall transmission, x-ray reflectivity of the channel walls, radial alignment of the fibres, slumping radius and fibre position in a fused block. The multifibres and sectors have also been inspected under microscope and Scanning electron Microscope (SEM) to inspect the channel walls and determine the improvements made in fibre stacking.

The next generation astronomical X-ray telescopes (such as the X-ray Evolving Universe Spectroscopy mission XEUS) require extremely large collecting areas (effective area of ~10 m2 at 1 keV) in combination with good angular resolution of ~5" or better. The existing technologies such as polished glass and nickel electroforming would lead to excessively heavy and expensive optics, and/or are not able to produce the required large area. We have developed an entirely novel technology for producing X-ray optics which results in very light, stiff and modular optics. These can be assembled into almost arbitrarily large apertures and are perfectly suited for future astrophysics missions such as XEUS. Indeed this crucial technology ensures that the ambitious mission profile is actually feasible. The technology makes use of commercially available silicon wafers from the semiconductor industry. The latest generation of 12 inch silicon wafers have a surface roughness that is sufficiently low (~0.3 nm) for X-ray reflection, almost perfect mechanical properties and are considerably cheaper than other high-quality optical materials. The wafers are bent into an accurate cone and assembled to form a stiff pore structure. The resulting light and stiff modules, which we term a High-performance Pore Optics (HPO), form a small segment of a Wolter-I optic, and are easily assembled into a modular optic with large collecting area. We have implemented an automated production process of HPOs on laboratory scale and describe facilities developed with ESA at the Cosine Research Centre. We present the status of the production and the results obtained with this highly innovative technology.

Future missions that may be deployed in the European Space Agency's Cosmic Visions 2025 scientific programme may include high energy astrophysics observatories that require focusing optics with unprecedented collection area. We describe scientific drivers for such missions, and discuss various implementations of optics designs that could satisfy the requirements. Options for lightweight reflectors and a possible implementation scenario are described and trade-offs for various coatings are presented.

The X-ray telescope forms the core of the high energy astrophysics observatory XEUS, currently under study at ESA as a well positioned candidate for its Cosmic Visions 1525 Science Programme, which is presently under formulation.
The science requirements of XEUS are particularly demanding, combining a large effective area (10m2 at 1 keV), moderate angular resolution (5" requirement, with a goal of 2"), and a low mass for the optics system. The preferred operational orbit for XEUS is a halo orbit around the Lagrangian Point 2 (L2). Background and costing considerations led to the requirement of a single focal plane location, which in combination with the required broad energy response function, in turn requires a focal length of 50m. The mission design is based on formation flying, with the Mirror Spacecraft (MSC) flying inertially, and the Detector Spacecraft (DSC) actively following the focal point.
The ambitious XEUS telescope relies on the novel X-ray technology currently under development in Europe. The X-ray optics technology development activities and status as well as the telescope design in general are addressed.

We report experiments aimed at measuring the orbital angular momentum of light by means of a torsion pendulum, in the spirit of the classical spin angular momentum experiment by Beth (1936) but using present-day technology. Although our set-up has adequate sensitivity and resolution to measure orbital angular momentum of light, the systematic errors that are caused by the inherent asymmetry in the conversion of orbital angular moment remain a problem.

Producing the next generation of X-ray optics, both for large astrophysics missions and smaller missions such as planetary exploration, requires much lower mass and therefore much thinner mirrors. The use of pore structures allows very thin mirrors in a stiff structure. Over the last few years we have been developing ultra-low mass pore optics based on microchannel plate technology in glass, resulting in square, open-core glass fibres in a concentric geometry. The surface roughness inside the pores can be as low as 0.5 nm due to the extreme stretching of the surface during production. We show how improvements in the production process have led to an improved quality of the fibers and the quality of stacking the fibers in the required geometry. To achieve een higher imaging quality as required for XEUS we have developed in parallel a novel pore optics technology based on silicon wafers. The production process of silicon wafers is extremely optimised by the semiconductor industry, leading to optical qualities that are sufficient for high-resolution X-ray focussing. We have developed the technology to stack these wafers into accurate X-ray optics, set up automated assembly facilities for the production of these stacks and present very promising X-ray test results of 5.3 arcsec HEW from single reflection off such a stack, showing the great potential of this technology for XEUS and other high-resolution low mass X-ray optics.

Future planetary missions will require advanced, smart, low resource payloads and satellites to enable the exploration of our solar system in a more frequent, timely and multi-mission manner. A viable route towards low resource science instrumentation is the concept of Highly Integrated Payload Suites (HIPS), which was introduced during the re-assessment of the payload of the BepiColombo (BC) Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO). Considerable mass and power savings were demonstrated throughout the instrumentation by improved definition of the instrument design, a higher level of integration, and identification of resource drivers. The higher integration and associated synergy effects permitted optimisation of the payload performance at minimum investment while still meeting the demanding science requirements. For the specific example of the BepiColombo MPO, the mass reduction by designing the instruments towards a Highly Integrated Payload Suite was found to be about 60%. This has endorsed the acceptance of a number of additional instruments as core payload of the BC MPO thereby enhancing the scientific return. This promising strategic approach and concept is now applied to a set of planetary mission studies for future exploration of the solar system. Innovative technologies, miniaturised electronics and advanced remote sensing technologies are the baseline for a generic approach to payload integration, which is here investigated also in the context of largely differing mission requirements. A review of the approach and the implications to the generic concept as found from the applications to the mission studies are presented.

The Xeus mission is designed to explore the X-ray emission from objects in the Universe at high redshifts, and the success of the mission depends critically on the deployment of a 10 square metre class telescope system in a suitable orbit for science observations. The minimisation of the telescope mass and volume becomes of critical importance for such a large facility. We describe developments of novel light weight optics that enable a reduction in mass per unit area of more than an order of magnitude, compared with traditional replication optics technology. With such a large collection area, image confusion limits become a scientific driver as well, demanding arcsecond class resolution. We describe measurements that demonstrate the improvement in resolution that gives very high confidence that these requirements can be met. Some implementation details of the mission are briefly mentioned.

The success of the XEUS mission depends critically on the deployment of a 10 square metre class telescope system in a suitable orbit for science observations. The minimisation of the telescope mass and volume becomes of critical importance for such a large facility. We describe developments of novel light weight optics that enable a reduction in mass per unit area of more than an order of magnitude, compared with traditional replication optics technology. With such a large collection area, image confusion limits become a scientific driver as well, demanding arcsecond class resolution. We describe measurements that demonstrate the improvement in resolution that gives very high confidence that these requirements can be met.

The next generation astronomical X-ray telescopes (e.g. XEUS) require extremely large collecting area (10 m2) in combination with good angular resolution (5 arcsec). The existing technologies such as polished glass, nickel electroforming and foil optics would lead to excessively heavy and expensive optics, and/or are not able to produce the required large area or resolution. We have developed an entirely novel technology for producing X-ray optics which results in very light, stiff and modular optics which can be assembled into almost arbitrarily large apertures, and which are perfectly suited for XEUS.
The technology makes use of commercially available silicon wafers from the semiconductor industry. The latest generation silicon wafers have a surface roughness that is sufficiently low for X-ray reflection, are planparallel to better than a micrometer, have almost perfect mechanical properties and are considerably cheaper than other high-quality optical materials. The wafers are bent into an accurate cone and assembled to form a light and stiff pore structure with pores of the order of a millimeter. The resulting modules form a small segment of a Wolter-I optic, and are easily assembled into an optic with large collecting area.
We present the production principle of these silicon pore optics, the facilities that have been set up to produce these modules and experimental results showing the excellent performance of the first modules that have been produced. With further improvement we expect to be able to match the XEUS requirements for imaging resolution and mass.

Very lightweight X-ray optics are being developed by ESA and its
industrial partners, for a number of X-ray astronomy and planetary missions. These developments could significantly improve the performance of future X-ray timing instrumentation. Based on Micro-Channel Plate (MCP) technology, the novel optics effectively
reduce the mirror thickness by almost two orders of magnitude, and therefore also the mass of the telescope optics. Very large collecting areas become feasible for space implementation, especially as required for X-ray timing observations. Furthermore this technology leads to much reduced detector sizes due to the use of imaging X-ray optics. This dramatically improves the detected signal-to-noise ratios, as well as introducing photon collection areas sufficiently large as to study temporal phenomena on the millisecond time scale. This is particularly important to improve the studies of compact X-ray sources, both for improving the signal to noise ratios in temporal bins so that spectral or fluctuation analyses are improved, and for extending the range of measurements to fainter classes of objects.
We present a brief overview of the MCP micro-pore optics technology and a possible design for an X-ray timing mission based on this technology and we analyze the performance of such mission.

If sensitive enough, future missions for nuclear astrophysics will be a great help in the understanding of supernovae explosions. In comparison to coded-mask instruments, both crystal diffraction lenses and grazing angle mirrors offer a possibility to construct a more sensitive instrument to detect gamma-ray lines in supernovae. We report on possible implementations of grazing angle mirrors and simulations carried out to determine the performance. In this study we differentiate between single and multilayer mirrors. Moreover we discuss the possibilities of double reflection implementations.

The Science Payload and Advance Concepts Office of the Science Directorate of the European Space Agency is responsible for developing and conducting a coherent and strategic technology program so as to ensure the feasibility of innovative advanced concepts for future science missions. These missions cover a wide range of disciplines ranging from astrophysics and fundamental physics to solar and planetary research, including exo-biology. The underpinning technology research and development is being conducted in collaboration with European industry and research institutes. The field of high energy photon optics for space applications has demonstrated substantial progress in the past decades, but continues to face very interesting challenges for the future missions. Low specific mass (mass per effective collecting area) is the driving parameter for most future mission designs, both for space based astrophysics observatories and planetary missions. New technologies have to be explored for future applications, simultaneously achieving good angular resolution and low mass. The next generation of high energy astrophysics missions will require the development of much improved optical systems for the x-ray range, and the introduction of focussing imaging systems in the gamma-ray regime. While adequate detection systems are already available, or in the process of refinement and optimization, the optical systems have posed the main hurdle in the design of new space missions. In this paper one potential alternative to the production of very lightweight X-ray optics, which is being investigated by ESA and its industrial partners, is discussed. First the applicability of the required optical design is addressed, followed by the currently ongoing work on the production facilities. Finally the impact of such optics on mission design is investigated based on the example of the X-ray Evolving Universe Spectroscopy mission XEUS. The cosmology mission XEUS requires very large effective area, 30 m2 at 1 keV, X-ray optics with high angular resolution of below 5" with a goal of 2". This implies a large aperture for a single telescope system, which will necessarily require assembly or deployment in space, and which will be formed by basic mirror modules known a petals. The petals must remain compatible with compact ground handling and production tools and will require minimum modifications to existing calibration facilities. Such optics are also envisaged for applications such as astrophysics observatories placed in very deep orbits or in the field of planetary remote sensing. In the latter application there are even stronger mass constraints although a more relaxed angular resolution requirement (e.g. arc minutes compared to arc seconds). Such optics systems have as a single common feature a dramatically reduced mirror thickness and therefore mass.

In the Science Payload Technology Division of the European Space Agency X-ray optics are being developed for space based astrophysics observatories and planetary missions. Due to the gazing incidence geometries required in the x-ray regions of interest, and the high angular resolutions required, the mass of the optics becomes a major driver in mission design. New technologies have to be explored for future applications, simultaneously achieving good angular resolution and low mass while maintaining collecting aperture. The cosmology mission XEUS requires very large effective area, 30m2 at 1keV, x-ray optics with high angular resolution of below 5" with a goal of 2". This implies a large aperture for a single telescope system, which will necessarily require assembly or deployment in space, and which will be formed by basic mirror modules known as petals. The petals must remain compatible with compact ground handling and production tools and will require minimum modifications to existing calibration facilities. The technology for the implementation of this Wolter-I design is currently based on the European heritage of x-ray optics development and production, dating back to Exosat, launched in 1983, to the currently operating XMM-Newton observatory. Substantial further research and development is required, however, with the key aspects therefore being low mass design and industrialization of the production. New approaches are being considered in parallel to evolutions of the current state-of-the-art technologies. In addition to the XEUS mission optics options, extremely low mass Wolter-I optics are being developed for applications in very deep orbits or planetary remote sensing, having even stronger mass constraints, but having a more relaxed angular resolution requirement. Such optics systems feature dramatically reduced mirror thickness and therefore mass. The current state of development of the ultra-lightweight x-ray optics systems will be presented together with future development plans.

At the European Space Agency (ESA) X-ray optics are being developed for future astrophysics and planetary missions. The cosmology mission XEUS requires very large effective area X-ray optics which high angular resolution. This implies a large aperture for a single telescope system, which will necessarily require assembly in space from basic mirror modules known as petals. The technology for the implementation of the Wolter-I design is based on the heritage of the XMM-Newton optics, but requires substantial further research and development. With 6 m2 effective area at 1 keV the XEUS optics is initially composed of 32 petals arranged in a circular aperture of 4.5m diameter, compatible with single Arian 5 launch into the XEUS orbit. Utilising the available infrastructure at the International Space Station (ISS) 96 additional petals, organised into 8 segments, are added to XEUS, increasing the effective area to 30 m2. Key aspects of the XEUS optics are therefore low-mass design, industrialisation of the production and ISS compatibility. As a potential optics for a remote sensing X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, extremely low mass Wolter-I optics are being developed. Based on Micro-Channel Plates (MCP), the mirror thickness can be dramatically reduced, making an accommodation on such missions as the Mercury orbiter of BeppiColombo possible. With a resolution of about 1 arcminute and compact construction, such imaging X-ray optics are well matched to modern Si or GaAs based detector arrays and will allow the mapping of the planetary surface in fluorescent X-ray light with unprecedented sensitivity.

The X-ray Evolving Universe Spectroscopy mission (XEUS) is an ambitious project under study by the European Space Agency (ESA), which aims to probe the distant hot universe with comparable sensitivity to NGST and ALMA. The effective optical area and angular resolution required to perform this task is 30 m2 effective area and <5 inch angular resolution respectively at 1 keV. The single Wolter-I X-ray telescope having these characteristics will be equipped with large area semiconductor detectors and high-resolution cryogenic imaging spectrometers with 2 eV resolution at 1 keV. A novel approach to mission design has been developed, placing the detector instruments on one dedicated spacecraft and the optics on another. The International Space Station (ISS) with the best ever-available infrastructure in space will be used to expand the mirror diameter from 4.5 m to 10 m, by using the European Robotic Arm on the ISS. The detector spacecraft (DSC) uses solar-electric propulsion to maintain its position while flying in formation with the mirror spacecraft. The detector instruments are protected from straylight and contamination by sophisticated baffles and filters, and employing the Earth as a shield to make the most sensitive low energy X-ray observations of the heavily red-shifted universe. After completion of an initial observation phase lasting 5 years, the mirror spacecraft will be upgraded (basically expanded to a full 10 m diameter mirror) at the ISS, while the DSC is replaced by a new spacecraft with a new suite of detector instruments optimised to the full area XEUS mirror. An industrial feasibility study was successfully completed and identified no major problem area. Current activities focus on a full system level study and the necessary technology developments. XEUS is likely to become a truly global mission, involving many of the partners that have teamed up to build the ISS. Japan is already a major partner int the study of XEUS, with ISAS having its main interest in the first DSC.

We describe HERMES (High Energy Remote-Sensing of Mercury's Surface), a novel X-ray imaging spectrometer for potential accommodation in the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) component of ESA's BepiColombo mission to Mercury. The instrument combines recently developed micro channel plate optics with large-format compound semiconductor imaging arrays. MCP optics offer the distinct advantage of a large collecting area coupled to arcminute angular resolution in a light-weight package and short focal length. Measurements on a prototype optic indicate it should be possible to achieve an angular resolution below 1 arcmin over a fov of 1 degree(s). Energy resolution of 270 eV FWHM at 5.9 keV has been achieved at room temperature for a prototype GaAs array. We estimate that HERMES will detect ~2000 x-ray fluorescent photons s-1 from the surface of Mercury during solar quiet conditions at the pericenter of the orbit. The maximum expected surface spatial resolution from this altitude is ~200m and the fov 40 km2. Over the orbiter's 2 year mission life, HERMES will provide the first very high resolution compositional maps of any planetary surface.

Using the technology that has been developed over many years for the fabrication of glass micro-channel plates, a prototype micro-pore optic has been produced that is a very light and compact implementation of a Wolter-I optic for X-ray imaging. With this prototype true Wolter-I imaging has been observed for the first time in a micro-pore optic. Individual fibers in the plates are found to be quite good, with a surface roughness permitting application at medium X-ray energies. The image quality and effective area is however seriously reduced by random tilt errors of multifibers in the plates. If this limitation can be overcome, this technology would allow very light and compact X-ray telescopes to be built. A design is presented that already provides a considerable effective area for soft X-rays using the properties of the surfaces obtained in this program.

The X-ray optics for the X-ray Evolving Universe Spectroscopy Mission (XEUS) have to satisfy the demanding requirements of this ambitious mission. XEUS is under study at the European Space Agency in the frame of the Horizon 2000+ program, utilizing the International Space Station (ISS) to take X-ray astrophysics into a new era. In a single launch XEUS1 is brought into orbit and deployed, providing a 4.5 m diameter X- ray optics with an angular resolution of 5 arcseconds. After a pre-cursor phase of astrophysical observation the XEUS mirror spacecraft docks to the ISS and is there significantly expanded, whereby the effective area of the optics is increased by a factor of 5, reaching 30 m2. This servicing at the ISS is based on the currently foreseen capabilities of the ISS and strongly relies on robotics and the presence of astronauts. The progress in developing the X-ray optics for XEUS is reported. Based on electro-formed mirror plates, which are mounted into mirror petals, the optics is modular and elegantly breaks the size limitation dictated by current designs. The necessary high level of control of the Nickel electroforming process is based on the legacy of the XMM project, launched by ESA in December 1999, but substantially improves the angular resolution and the collecting area. New materials are being explored for the fabrication of the high precision Wolter I shaped mandrels, scaled model petals are being made to study the X-ray imaging properties, and full- scale structural models are built to confirm the numerical evaluation of the optics and engineering designs. Appreciable progress has been achieved on the X-ray optics, supporting the system level and feasibility studies of the mission, which are aimed at proving the feasibility of the novel concept of XEUS.

The X-ray Evolving Universe Spectroscopy mission (XEUS) is a potential follow-on to ESA's Cornerstone XMM-Newton. XEUS is designed to become a permanent space-based X-ray observatory covering the waveband from 0.5 to 200 angstroms with a sensitivity comparable to the most advanced planned future observations at longer wavelengths, such as NGST, ALMA and FIRST.

A novel type of micro-pore optics for the X-ray regime has been developed. These optics have a radial design instead of the square packing in the more traditional Lobster-eye optics. With such a design true imaging, without a crucifix in the focus, can be achieved. We demonstrate that the walls inside the square pores are good enough to produce sub- arcminute focussing up to photon energies above 10 keV. The current performance of the optics is limited by large-scale distortions of the plates, probably caused by the method to fuse the fibers together.

X-ray optics based on micro-channel plates (MCPs) offer some distinctive advantages over conventional technologies used to produce imagin optics for astrophysics applications. Such micro-pore optics (MPOs) are far lighter and allow a larger stacking density than optics based on metallic foils or plates. Until recent, x-ray optics based on MCPs were not feasible or useful because of the limited quality of the MCPs. We have produced thick square pore MPOs of improved quality and have developed methods to stack the channels in a radial pattern, as required for imagin optics based on Wolter type I or II designs. The individual plates were tested in synchrotron radiation facilities and conventional beam lines to determine their geometric and surface scattering properties.

To achieve the demanding aims of XEUS, which involve the detection of sources as faint as 10-18 ergs cm-2s-1 a large x-ray mirror will need to be developed. This core scientific aim implies that the XEUS mirror needs to have an effective collection area at 1 keV of 30 m2 coupled to a spatial resolution on-axis of between 2 and 5 arcsec, so as to avoid source confusion at these very faint flux levels. Finally a field of view of at least 5 arcmin must be covered so as to ensure that a significantly large population of high redshift x-ray sources can be observed in a single pointing over the energy band from 0.05-30 keV. Clearly the key characteristics of XEUS is the large x-ray mirror aperture coupled to the high spatial resolution. The XEUS mirror aperture of 10 m diameter is divided into annuli with each annulus subdivided into sectors. The basic mirror unit therefore consist of a set of heavily stacked thin mirror plates each retaining the correct geometry. This unit is known as a mirror petal and constitutes a complete free-standing calibrated part of the overall XEUS mirror.

The High Throughput X-ray Spectroscopy Mission (XMM) is a "Cornerstone" Project in the ESA long-term Programme for Space Science. The satellite observatory uses three grazing incidence mirror modules coupled to reflection grating spectrometers and X-ray CCD cameras. Each XMM mirror module consists of 58 Wolter I mirrors which are nested in a coaxial and cofocal configuration. The calibration of the mirror system includes the development of a representative numerical model and its validation against extensive calibration tests performed on ground at the CSL and PANTER test facilities. The present paper describes the calibration of the x-ray effective area of the first XMM flight mirror module.

The high throughput x-ray spectroscopy mission (XMM) is a 'Cornerstone' Project in the ESA long-term Program for Space Science. The satellite observatory uses three grazing incidence mirror modules coupled to reflection grating spectrometers and x-ray CCD cameras. Each XMM mirror module consists of 58 Wolter I mirrors which are nested in a coaxial and confocal configuration. The calibration of the mirror system includes the development of a representative numerical model and its validation against extensive calibration test performed on ground at the CSL and PANTER test facilities. The present paper describes the calibration of the x-ray image quality of the first XMM flight mirror module.

We describe simulations of the XMM EPIC instruments which suggests the correct operating mode must be chosen to ensure that spectral analysis of the data is not compromised by 'pile-up' effects. We contrast the performance with the AXAF CCD imaging spectrometer, and show that the XMM EPIC instruments will access a larger range of source fluxes due to a combination of higher effective area and better over- sampling of its mirror response function. Targets exceeding a flux of a few 10-12 ergs cm-2s-1 will be compromised for spectral analysis in AXAF. For XMM, the corresponding flux levels will be 10-11 ergs cm-11 ergs cm-2s-1. This feature warrants careful attention in calibration.

The high throughput x-ray spectroscopy mission (XMM) is a 'cornerstone' project in the ESA Long-Term Programme for Space Science. The satellite observatory uses three grazing incidence mirror modules coupled to reflection grating spectrometers and x-ray CCD cameras. In order to achieve a large effective area, each XMM mirror module consists of 58 Wolter I mirrors which are nested in a coaxial and cofocal configuration. Each mirror shell is characterized by detailed metrology before further integration into the mirror modules. The present paper describes the mirror metrology and the way metrology data will be used to simulate the mirror performance. Simulation results are compared with x-ray images.

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